Letters to the Editor for Dec. 23, 2013

Monday

Dec 23, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Readers comment on a nasty note left on a car, a great community chorus, tea party attacks on President Obama, and more.

Nasty noteIn October, I took my 4-year-old granddaughter to the O'Connell Center to see "Sesame Street Live." After the show, I found a note on my windshield that called me horrible names and threatened to key my car "next time."I have a U.S. Marine Corps bumper sticker and license plate in honor of my son, who has been a Marine for 10 years. The note was signed "Semper fi, (expletive)." I know the threats I received are because of my support for the Marines. My 29-year-old son is serving our nation, and I bless him and all of the others sacrificing themselves for our country. I am extremely proud of my son. In case the person who wrote me that note was unaware, my son doesn't create the wars we fight. His job is to defend us from harm. He gives all of us the freedom to write nasty notes to little old ladies like me.Patricia Scribner,Gainesville

Generous groupI, along with a standing-room-only audience, recently had the great pleasure of hearing the debut performance of the newly formed Voices Rising Community Chorus. Ruth Lewis conducted the 70-member intergenerational chorus that included singers ages 10 through senior adults. Musical selections included a wide variety genres, from Latin Psalm tunes to American jazz, all performed with musical accuracy and enthusiasm.Instead of charging admission for the concert, the chorus invited the audience to make donations to the Friends of Elementary Arts Inc. ­— an organization that supports elementary art and music education in the Alachua County Public Schools. The generosity of the chorus and our community is sincerely appreciated. Learn more about Voices Rising Community Chorus at www.vrccgainesville.org and Friends of Elementary Arts Inc. at www.fanofthearts.org.Cheryl Poe,Gainesville

Vicious attacksJamie Mathis (letter, Nov. 19) challenged me to prove my statement that the tea party has made vicious attacks against the president. I'm happy to do so.The following are signs displayed at tea party events across the country: "Obama's Plan, White Slavery;" "Obamacare, Obamafascism" accompanied by a drawing of a swastika; a Photoshopped picture of the president's face on the body of an apparently African tribesman, complete with a bone through his nose; "Obama is the Anti-Christ;" a picture of the president with a Hitler mustache; a picture of the president as the evil villain Joker from a recent Batman movie; and Photoshopped pictures of the president and First Lady as monkeys, accompanied by the phrase, "Primate in Chief."This is just a small sampling of the hateful, racist, vicious attacks against the president that come from the tea party.Jeffrey Burk,Gainesville

Holiday strugglesTaking in friends in need is apparently something frowned upon by the city of Gainesville. Obviously this city and its government only care about their status in the economy and social rank among the other cities in the state and the country.The homeless situation in this city will be growing exponentially this holiday season due to the ignorance of the people in places of authority and in charge of writing policies, and the greed of the bigwigs and corporate executives who run this city.To all the kind-hearted people and establishments and charities doing what needs to be done to make everyone's lives that much more bearable, I personally thank you and will be joining you to help as much as I possibly can. To all the people who understand where I'm coming from and struggling like I am, I truly am sorry for your frustration and the struggles facing you this holiday season.John Wallace,Gainesville

Lack of jobsThe minimum wage represents the idea that those working should be able pay for the basic necessities of life. Kathy Young (letter, Dec. 17) mainly writes of fast-food workers, but never presents any data to show that they are young and thus have no major expenses.Many restaurant workers in Gainesville are young, but what do you expect in a college town? Gainesville is not typical of the country in this regard.Young thinks that if a 40-year-old can do no better than work in such a restaurant, the low wage is deserved. But if they can't do better, they still deserve to be paid enough to live. Most can do better, but the jobs are not there. I have seen laid-off business executives in their 50s working in fast-food restaurants.A living wage is good for the worker and also good for the society since it pumps more money back into the economy.Albert Meyer,Gainesville

Not a job killerI don't know whether to laugh or cry. The Republican "Intelligentsia" (i.e. Michelle Bachman, John Boehner, Ted Cruz, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, etc.) have been decrying the Affordable Care Act as a job-killer. We recently have learned that unemployment is at its lowest rate in five years; 400,000 jobs were added in the previous two months.Thank heaven that thousands of Americans are able to ignore the Republican lies and are signing up, many of whom will have health insurance for the first time ever. The pathetic Republicans just can't handle the idea of President Obama making any significant change for the the betterment of American lives.Carolyn Troupin,Gainesville